(CNN) -- Formula One is taking another step in its techno evolution this year, with major rule changes meaning that the season could be more unpredictable than it has been for a long time.

Sebastian Vettel's hopes of a fifth consecutive world drivers' title appear very much in the balance, with his previously all-conquering Red Bull team struggling for reliability during preseason testing.

However, the sign of a true champion is the ability to cope with change and innovate accordingly -- something the Austrian marque has done better than any other in recent seasons.

Indeed, the 64 years of F1 history have been marked by moments of design genius which have changed the elite motorsport, at least until the next maverick idea came along.

Click through the gallery above to discover some of the seminal F1 cars that broke through the barriers of conventional thinking.